


Standing By

by LinnyBear



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Childhood Friends, Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-28
Updated: 2014-05-28
Packaged: 2018-01-26 22:47:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1705406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinnyBear/pseuds/LinnyBear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lin and Tenzin on Air Temple Island while their parents are away at the Yukone trial. Mom promised she'd be okay, and she never breaks that promise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Standing By

“Now, you’ll be good for Aunt Katara?”

“Yes, mom.”

“And you won’t hurt Tenzin again?”

“Mooom it was one time-“

“Lin.”

“Yes mom.”

“Good. Now, give mom a kiss.”

“Mom. I’m eight years old.” She pouted.

“And you’re still my Squirt. So give Mom a kiss.”

Lin rolled her eyes and complied, despite feeling a bit like a baby.

Mom turned to Katara, who was just breaking her embrace with Aang, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “She’ll be fine here? You don’t mind?”

“Toph,” Katara said, annoyed, “It’s fine. I shouldn’t have to say it again.”

“Okay. Okay. I…I don’t know when we’ll be back.”

“I know. Lin is safe here as long as she needs to be, okay?”

Mom just nodded. “Okay. I…thank you, Katara.” She gave the older woman a light punch in the arm, before turning back to Lin. “You be good, okay Squirt? I’ll be back when I’ve kicked everyone’s asses!”

Lin wasn’t worried. Couldn’t be. Her mom was fine, and always was.

 

~~~~~~~

“Go away, Lin.” Tenzin grumbled, looking up from his book.

“Awwww, but I’m bored.”

“Why don’t you go bother Bumi or Kya?”

Lin sighed, big and dramatic, plopping beside Tenzin under the tree. “They told me to go away, too. They called me a baby and told me to go outside.”

Tenzin quirked up an eyebrow, suddenly suspicious. “And you…did what they said?”

Lin grinned, teeth sharp. “Not before I put some frogs in Kya’s bed.”

Tenzin groaned, shaking his head. He’d be the one to pay for that later.

“So what do you want Lin?” He shut his book, setting it aside.

“I don’t know. Wanna play a game?”

“Like what?”

“Hide and explode!” She said, sitting up on her knees.

“No, Lin. Mom took forever to heal me from last time. And we’re not even firebenders.”

“You don’t like any other games.” Lin pouted, arms across her chest.

“I don’t like that game.”

“You don’t like anything! You’re so boring, Tenzy!”

“Don’t call me that, Pebbles!”

“AAAAAAAAA! TENZIN!” Kya’s screech carried across the whole of the island.

“Gotta go!” Lin got up and ran, giggling the whole way, leaving a very red-faced Tenzin in her wake.

~~~~~~

They came back from the trial just after dinner. Lin could tell something was…off. She didn’t know what.

She could see it, in the way that Uncle Aang just held Katara, in the worried glances that Katara and her mother exchanged at the mention of something called bloodbending.

Tenzin and Lin just watched, seemingly forgotten where they were sitting on the little living room couch.

They watched, but didn’t say anything. They had been reading a book together, fighting whenever Lin turned the page too quickly. But it didn’t seem to matter, as they strained to hear what the grownups were saying without getting caught.

“What’s ‘bloodbending’?” Lin whispered.

“I don’t know. But it sounds scary.”

“Yeah…maybe Sokka will tell us. He knows everything.”

“Does not.”

“Does too!”

“Come on, Squirt.” Lin looked up. She hadn’t noticed Mom approaching her, but now she was suddenly there, leaning over her with a gentle smile on her face. “Let’s get you home. It’s been a long day.”

Lin frowned, but nodded. She had missed her mom. She just wanted to go home, too.

“Thank you, Katara.” Mom hugged her. Weird. Her mom didn’t hug anyone. She just punched people.

“Anytime, Toph. Remember that. And…” Katara reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. “You and Lin…you can stay here tonight, if you want.”

Mom only shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Really.”

She let Lin ride on her shoulders the whole way home, which Lin didn’t admit she loved; she was too old for that. They talked, and laughed, Lin telling Mom all about playing with Tenzin and the frogs in Kya’s bed (which she received a “Lin, you know how mean that is,” followed by what can only be described as proud laughter). It was just them, walking home in the city sunset.

“And then, I kicked all their asses!” Mom declared, proudly, as they finally made it to their house. She pulled Lin off of her shoulders, setting her down in front of the door before unlocking it.

“Of course.” Lin said, arms crossed, proud grin. “You always do.”

“Yes, and don’t you forget it.” She ruffled her daughter’s hair as they made it inside, and Mom dumped her uniform on the floor, like she always did.

Lin didn’t notice the way she leaned against the desk, or, she didn’t think it was all that strange.

“Yep! My mom’s the toughest, best earthbender in the world!”

But instead of laughter, and a twirl around the room, Mom knelt in front of her, both hands on her shoulders. She brushed some of Lin’s hair out of her face, before she suddenly pulled the girl into her arms.

Lin was confused, but hugged her back. She kept hugging her, even as sobs began to wrack her mother’s body, and tears began to wet Lin’s hair.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fic I published ages and ages ago on tumblr, on what was once my active Lin Beifong rp blog, hardboiledbeifong (I have since moved to chiefironwall). It was originally posted as a request fic.
> 
> When I say ages ago, I mean nearly two years. And somehow, I think I was a better writer then...


End file.
